May 9, 2024

Military Services:
– Armed Forces
– Coast Guard

Armed Forces:
– Air Force
– Army
– Navy
– Marines

2 Types of Duty:
– Active (full-time)
– Reserve (part-time)

2 Types of Military Personel:
– Officers (217,898 total)
– Enlisted (1,167,951 total)

2 Types of Officers:
– Commissioned (commissioning program, military acadamy, ROTC)
– Warrant (specialists in a particular area)

2004 DoD Budget:
– $379.9 billion (total)
– $93.7 b (Army)
– $114.6 b (Navy, Marine)
– $113.7 b (Air Force)
– $57.9 b (Dept wide)

Military Units (Army):
– Squad. About a dozen soldiers.
– Platoon. Two or more squads.
– Company. Two or more platoons. Artillery refers to this as a “battery”, cavalry and aviation as a “troop”.
– Battalion. Two or more companies. Calvalry and aviation refer to this as a “squadron”.
– Brigade. Two or more battalions.
– Division. Two or more brigades. A division has between 12,500 and 25,000 troops.
– Corps: Two or more divisions.

Links:
The Basics of the US Military
Where to find military information
Officer Insignia
Enlisted Insignia
Military Pay
Military Rank and Grade
Active Duty Military Personnel By Rank/Grade
Defense Link
2004 DoD Budget
Military Rank
Military Dictionary
DoD Dictionary
Military History